Hare Krsna,
A particular line in Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 10.10.13 caught my attention and also sums up the reason why Narada Muni cursed the sons of Kuvera. Srila Prabhupada writes, “Nārada Muni wanted to bring Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva to the platform of devotional service through poverty, and thus he cursed them. Such is the mercy of a Vaiṣṇava. Unless one is brought to the Vaiṣṇava platform, one cannot be a good man.”
As I am meditating on this aspect, I am amazed what an extraordinary preacher Narada Muni is. If needed, he can take the unconventional route to bring someone to the platform of devotional service. We all know the pastime of Narada Muni and Mrgari, a hunter. Once, Narada Muni was passing through the jungle and felt very compassionate towards the animals who were half-dead and half-killed by the hunter. Narada Muni, being a Vaisnava, was very kind to all living entities. Therefore, he went to the hunter whose name was Mrgari. But the Mrgari was under the impression that “This saintly person is coming to me for some deerskin.” And he said, “Sir, don’t interfere in my business. If you want deerskin I shall give you. Please get out of my activities for the present.” Narada Muni said that “I have not come here to ask for deerskin, but I simply ask you that if you want to kill the animals, you kill them fully. Why are you half-killing them?” The hunter said, “What is the difference between killing whole and killing half?” For which, Narada Muni replied that “If you kill the animal totally,it is less sinful than if you kill them half.” The hunter said that “Well, right from my childhood, I have been taught to do this by my father. I do not know what is sinful, or what is pious.” (Paraphrased from CC Madhya 22)
Come to think of it. For an institution like ISKCON that strictly prohibits animal killing and meat eating, Narada Muni’s advice to kill the animal “fully” would be considered blasphemous if the statement is take out of context. Which Vaisnava would openly support animal killing? But being a pure devotee and extremely compassionate to fallen souls, Narada Muni has a deeper plan. His idea is to somehow stop Mrgari from committing more sinful activities so that he could make some spiritual advancement. It’s similar to a doctor advising a chain smoker to reduce his smoking to not more than 10 cigarettes a day in the beginning. Gradually he will guide the patient to give up smoking altogether.
Similarly, Narada Muni cursing Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva to become poor is to stop their false pride and obsession with excessive wealth. As is repeatedly mentioned in this chapter, excessive wealth is not favorable to cultivation of devotional service. It just inflates the false ego to the extent that one ends up considering himself a God.
Therefore, saintly persons voluntarily accepts a state of poverty just to become free from material false prestige. If one is very much proud of his material position, putting him into poverty is the best way to rectify his foolishness. When a person is poverty-stricken, naturally his false pride in aristocracy, wealth, education and beauty is smashed. Thus corrected, he is in the right position for liberation. (SB 10.10.15 Purport)
Our very dear Srila Prabhupada had a unique experience with poverty. There came a time in his life when he lost everything – family, business, wealth, etc.
In Srila Prabhupada’s own words, “When I was reading this verse, that yasyāham anugṛhnāmi hariṣye tad dhanaṁ śanaiḥ (SB 10.88.8), Kṛṣṇa said that “When I show somebody My special favor, I take away all his money,” I became shuddered: “So Kṛṣṇa will take my all money? If He is spe…” (laughs) And actually that happened. He took my all money, all family, all friends and everything. (laughs) And He asked me, “Go to America. You’ll get many money, much money, many friends. You go ahead. Come here.” Yes. That was His intention. And I was sticking to limited money, limited friends, limited society. This is special favor.” ((Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s Disappearance Day Lecture, Los Angeles, December 13, 1973)
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi
hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ
tato ‘dhanaṁ tyajanty asya
svajanā duḥkha-duḥkhitam
“The Personality of Godhead said: If I especially favor someone, I gradually deprive him of his wealth. Then the relatives and friends of such a poverty-stricken man abandon him. In this way he suffers one distress after another.”
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.88.8)
“I think it is good to remain financially poor because always we shall be able to pray Krishna, asking His help to execute His service. If all of a sudden we become very strong financially, Maya may dictate us for sense enjoyment, and we may fall a prey to her tactics. Therefore to remain poor is one of the qualifications for advancing in Krishna Consciousness.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, June 14, 1968)
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 